U.S. Atari 2600 in the U.K. - problems!!

[PartyBoy]

Hey, new member here.

I've got around 300 or so 2600 games both PAL and NTSC format. Quite a few will only work on an NTSC machine so I've got hold of a Darth and a Sunnyvale heavy sixer from America.

I've sorted the power issue with a step down adapter but noticed the RF lead male is bigger than my female television socket, Its a new lcd panasonic 23" tv. It appears the U.S. machines have a different size RF jack than my U.K. 2600's.

So, I've tried fitting a U.K. RF male which now fits the tv as per the U.K. models, but I am getting nothing through the t.v. - just snow throughout the tuning.

Any ideas? Am I missing something?

[Mayhem]

All NTSC 2600 games will work fine on a PAL 2600, you'll just get the wrong colours. Well from my experience, and I've got shed loads here.

Regarding using RF, you'll only get a picture on your TV if there is an NTSC tuner in the TV (very rare, I know one mate who does have one). The trouble is, PAL tuners do not go down to a low enough frequency to register the signal being output by the NTSC 2600, so you'll get nothing.

I think the lowest channel band on a PAL tuner is about 13 (in the UHF region) and NTSC console equipment outputs through RF at channel 3 or 4 (in the VHF region).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UHF

Solution? Get the NTSC 2600 modded to output composite, or get a NTSC 7800 modded to output composite/S-video, or find an NTSC to PAL convertor.

[chaoticjelly]

Get the NTSC 2600 modded to output composite, or get a NTSC 7800 modded to output composite/S-video

If your interested I can do this for you, send me a PM 8)

NTSC to PAL converters are pretty cheap, but composite will give a much nicer picture compared to RF, I can even make a cable to go with it.

[PartyBoy]

Thanks a lot fellas, that makes sense.

chaoticjelly, you have a pm